Improvement in combination-padlocks



Cllldirll ltere' i M. I?, THATCHER, OF ION'IIAC, ASSIGNR TO JULIUS A.FOSTER, OF

` ADRIAN, MICHIGAN.

Leners Patent No. 97,568, dated Decanter 7, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN COMBINATION-PADLGCKS.

'he Schedulereferre. to inA these Letters .Patent and making part of thesame.

To-all whom it may concern Bc it known that I, M. I. THATCHER, ofPontiac, in the county of Oakland, and State of Michigan, have inventeda new `and useful Improvement in Padlocks; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description of theconstruction and operation ofthe same, reference being had to theauneXed drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, makinga part of this specification, like letters referring to similar parts.

The nature of my invention relates, ehieliy, to the employment of aspring-catch or dog in a combinationpadlock, whereby the lock may be atany time locked, without regard to the relative position of'- thecombinatiou-tumblers, but which cannot be unlocked until the tumblersare all placed or turned totheir proper position, according to the lineof numbers on which the lock is set.

'lo enable others skilled in-the art to which my invention relates, tomake and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its constructionand mode of operation.

In the drawings- Figure l is a sectionalv view of my improved combination-padlock, in complete working order.

Figure 2 is a sectional View of the locking-bolt,ivitl1 the spring-catchor dog above mentioned, bothbeing detached from the body of the lock.

Figure 3 is a transverse section of the parts represented in the lastfigure.

Figure 4 is a side view of the staple, its hinge, together with the headB and slotted tube H, all separated from the rest of the lock. p

Figure 5 is a side elevation of my improved padlock, in completeworkingorder, and locked.

Figure 6 isan end view of the same, when 'viewed in .the direction ofthe line Y-X, fig. 1.

Figure 7 is a side view of one ol' the tumblers, fm, with its slot l.

Figure 8 -is a vertical section of the same.

. Figure 9 is a side view of the head C.

A represents the loop or staple of the lock, and is hinged in the usualmanner, at one end, to the head B, and at the other end is provided witha tongue, having a moi-lise, c, which, when the loop A is locked downinto the head C, is entered by one end of the bolt G.

`The bolt G has a head 'on one end, by which to draw it backl to unlockthe loop, the bolt being made to fit into and pass through the head Band slotted tube H, and enter the head C, and when locking the loop A,passing through thesaid iportise c.

'm fm, Ste., represent any desirable number of combination-tuinblers.used. These tumblers are all similar in form and operation, eachcontaining, on its periphery, eight iigures or letters, more or less, atequal distances apart.

`.In this case four in number are Each has, also, on its hack side, aslight projecting ring, 1, lig. 8, which projects into the dish ofthecontiguous tumbler, to prevent the-introduction'of a thin tool betweenthem, against the spring-catch or dog E, to push it down against thespring T, and thus unlockthe lock, without having lil-st set thetumblers on the combination.

Of these tumblers, a side view is shown in iig. 7, a

transverse section in iig. 8, and an exterior view of them, and theirnumbers and relative position, on the tube H,'and their figures orletters in tig. 5. -Ihese tumblers having been lslipped on to the tubeH, the washer I is next put on, to make both ends of the lock appearalike, and then the head G is screwed on, as represented.

In iig. 9, the head C is shown separated .from the tube H, to which itis to be attached by a screw, as represented. In this way, the heads Band C are brought into relative position to receive the two ends of theloop A.

The bolt G has a long slot or mortise, I?, through it, t0 reeeiveaspring, T, behind the dog E, the latter being provided with four, or'more catches, e f g h, equal in number to the number of tumblers, sothat theymay catch ou to them when they (the tumhlers) are turned so asto carry their slot .l" (see fig. 7) past the dog E.

The spring T is laidinto the slot F, behind the dog E, so as to springbetween it and the interior surface of the tube H, thereby causing aconstant pressure of the dog E outward against the side of the holes,through the centre of the tumblers.

In the dog E is a transverse slot, c, through which passes a pin, x, toprevent the dog from ever coming entirely out of its seat in the bolt. l

i The tube H has a long slot, q, on the bottom side, through which thespring-catch or dog E projects, so as to engage with the tumblers m m,85e., as before described. 4

- t, figs. 1- and 9, is a small set-screw, set into the head C, in themanner shown, and strikes against the tube H, itscbject being to preventthe head C from being or becoming turned on its thread when the loop Ais` unlocked and raised out of its seat, but which, when desirable, maybe loosened, and the head C removed altogether from the tube II, for thepurposes of changing the arrangement of the tnmblers on the tube.

K, in figs.- 1 and 4, is a small recess in the head B,

into which the dog E enters when the bolt G is drawn back to unlock theloop.

Having now described the construction of my improved padlock, it'soperatiouis as follows:

Operation. V The process of unlocking this lock is very similar to thatof unlocking other combination-padlocks, its chief merit and advantageover all other combinationpadlocks being in the process and convenienceof locking, which can be done in the dark as well vas iu the light, bysimply shutting down the loop A, when, by means of the inclinations onthe back of each catch, e, f, g, and h., on the dog E, the bolt G may bepressed in by the thumb or nger, and the loop A locked, and this withoutregard to the combination.

To unlock my lock, I have to turn the tumblers m m, &c., so as to bringthe proper figures or letters to a line, when the bolt G may be drawnout by the head, which releases the loop A. v

Should circumstances ever require it, the set combination may be changedas often as it is desirable, by simply unscrewing the head O and takingit off, and reversing or changing the order in which the tumblers areplaced upou the tube H, which will, of course, require the figures to beplaced in a dierent relation .to unlock the lock.

Having thus described my invention,

What I claim as new, 'and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The dog E, as constructed, with inclined catches, in combination withspring 'l and slotted bolt G, as and for the purpose specified.

`2. The tumblers m m, Sac., constructed with dished surfaces on one sideand projecting lings l on the other, as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of' slotted bolt G, dog E, with inclined catches,spring T, barrel H, tumblers m m, 85o., heads B and C, screw t, andstaple A, constructed and operating substantially as and for the purposespecified.

M. P. THATCHER.

Tituessesz GEO. W. BROCK, W. W. GRAY.

